Molybdenum carbide nanosheets with iron doping as electrocatalysts for highly efficient ammonia electrosynthesis

[Display omitted] •Efficient electrocatalyst for ambient ammonia synthesis.•Optimal FE of 13% achieved.•Yielded 16 µg h−1 mg−1 of NH3.•Fe doping enhances catalytic activity.•Nonprecious metal catalyst reduces costs. The electrochemical reduction of nitrogen to ammonia represents a greener alternative to the Haber-Bosch process, demanding a shift towards low-cost and high-efficiency electrocatalysts. Recent advances in research have demonstrated the potential of molybdenum carbide-based catalysts to have their unique electronic structure and physicochemical properties. This study introduces ultrathin iron-doped molybdenum carbide nanosheets (Fe-MoC) as a novel catalyst for ammonia electrosynthesis. Demonstrating a remarkable ammonia production rate of 16 µg h−1 mg−1 and a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of approximately 13 % at −0.2 V, our synthesized Fe-MoC nanosheets stand out for their superior catalytic activity and selectivity towards nitrogen activation. The indophenol technique was employed to identify the generation of NH3 in our experiments, followed by UV–vis spectrometry for quantitative analysis. Additionally, various characterization techniques, including XRD, Raman, and XPS, were used to analyze the material structure and surface properties. Through comprehensive characterization and electrochemical studies, we reveal the pivotal role of iron doping in enhancing the electrocatalytic performance for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), offering insights into the mechanistic pathways facilitated by Fe-MoC. The future development and perspective of Fe-MoC towards high performance are proposed.